Sewing Meetup and Simplicity 3939: Fleece Dog Pullovers

Monday was a blast. Trena and I met up in Pennsylvania this weekend at Fabric Mart Fabrics with other online sewers. Trena has a full rundown on her blog. I didn’t bring a camera so I’ve ganked the group photo from her Flickr 🙂

Layla, Mary, Claudine, (me), Lisette, Trena, and Diane Drexel. Layla, Mary and Lisette came up from Maryland, Claudine from New Jersey and Diana was regional to the area. I’d like to tell you I bought nothing. My plan was to buy some masculine striped tee shirt knit for a boy. But, I walked away with a stack of poly knit prints. I thought I’d sworn off poly knits because of BO. But, thanks to the input on PR and here on my blog, with the use of amonia and enzymatic Biz in my wash, my clothes are fresh again.

I’m wearing my favorite sweatshirt dress from La Mia Boutique. It’s about three years old and starting to show it wear (I never did stabilize the neckline). I adore this dress and plan to make one again soon. Just need to track down some ribbing…

This weekend I also managed to pull out Simplicity 3939, Doggy Pullovers
For the first time *ever*, I actually purchased fleece from Joanns. I always used to wonder who could possibly be buying all that freaking fleece. Now, you can count me as one of them.

I realize this post will likely only appeal to the dog owners / lovers out there. I understand. Heh. I have two other dog clothes patterns to try out and review. Consider yourself warned…

Dog clothes barely take 1/2 a yard of material for Linus and the cost benefit is crazy. Fleece for 50 percent off means Linus gets a new sweatshirt for less than $5. I have to say, I hate the way fleece feels.

Simplicity 3939 is one of two dog sweater / sweatshirt patterns I picked up on Saturday night on my way home from a baby naming ceremony in the county. I was really about to swear off Joanns. Two weekends ago I went and they had not a SINGLE ONE of the eight patterns I was looking for. Maybe mine’s gone to hell because this more suburban Joanns had everything I wanted.

So, this pattern was intriguing to me because of the back leg sleeves on View A (Eddie Bowser) & B (Bark Avenue). I cut the size small based on his length measurement.

HAHAHAHAHA. I can’t stop laughing. I think he looks like he’s wearing a Union Suit or a onesie.

He spent a few minutes trying to shake it off (note his hind leg)

But, eventually settled in to it.

I do not think I can take him out in public wearing this. But, it’s good for night and when I’m gone during the day and the heat is down. It’s also less bulky than his wool hand-knit sweater.

Next, I went with a more traditional tee shirt, Version C: Yuppy Puppy. Dude. People LOVE them some little dog in a shirt. I walked him in the red pullover and had three people stop and chat with me / Linus. They thought he was ‘sharp’.

Not much to report here other than I’m about to save a lot of money sewing these instead of buying them. Seriously. This took less than an hour to sew from start to finish.

Both shirts use ‘Blizzard No Pill Fleece’ from Joanns. I need to buy the Baltimore Ravens fleece next time for Linus’ next Union Suit. I have another argyle fleece that I may try the other pattern from. The possibilities are troublingly endless…

Seriously, Linus has a good life, LOL. This is how we watch TV at night.

I think it’s lovely that you’re keeping your little buddy warm AND reducing your carbon footprint by turning down the heat. The one with the back legs, though…yeah, I had to laugh a bit, if only at the expressions on his face!

The picture where he’s trying to shake off the nautical onesie is hilarious, and I love the one where he’s wearing the red shirt–he looks like he’s really trying to pose for you. 🙂 And I suspect there simply aren’t enough small hairless dogs to account for all that awful fleece. Hancock Fabrics has “fleece fest”, and I shudder every time I see the banner and again every time I walk through the doors during said “fest”. 🙄

Linus seems quite proud of the red one. The other he’ll learn to love when he realizes it keeps him warm! Thanks for posting on the Fabric Mart trip. Some day…..In the meantime, thank you to you and Trena for showing us what that great place looks like.

Yes, I’m still laughing, too! I should start posting pictures of the things Molly wears. Just last week she wore a fascinator all day for Melbourne Cup. She doesn’t care and it makes people laugh. I need to get her a new pair of christmas antlers this year because her old ones broke. I make her coats from old blankets from the op shop. It’s cheap and you can get some fun colours. This year I made her a lime green plaid coat.

I have a Chihuahua too, Cujo. He had pjs like the union suit when he was a puppy but I couldn’t find any more when he got to his big boy 4# self. Now, I will have to get this and put him in. He gets so cold.

People love him in sweaters and give them too me. Yep, a dog wardrobe. My fave is the tiny sombrero my mom got him.

haha, I love your blog! first I was like, ‘wow, she mentioned the BO and polyester thing’, I don’t know anyone that will admit to that! I worked out myself that bicarbonate of soda and vinegar helps my t-shirt underarm bits, but am going to try and track Biz down in Australia and try it! Did you mention the ammonia thing on your blog, as in, the recipe? Would love the details!
And Linus is adorable, as is your sweater sewing! I’m made a few for my dog, Murray, they are so cute aren’t they? And yep, the price is definitely right. Oh, and sew as well

I know, right! Well, I thought it was my problem, then someone told me that polyester holds on to odor. No recipe really. I use half the detergent, a full cup of amonia in the wash and add vinegar to the rinse cycle. I do spray the pits with a mix of water, baking soda, vinegar and biz. It was someone from Canada who told me to get an enzymatic cleaner and Biz is what they sold in the US. There might be something close there too!

We spray our workout clothes (pits only) with Simple Green. It’s probably an enzymatic cleaner – I’ll have to look when I get home. I have never understood the attraction of these “hi-tech” fabrics. Wickaway = whatevs. It’s polyester, people! I can’t stand myself halfway through a long workout if I wear the hi-tech shirts. Cotton still smells like laundry but it’s damp. Go cotton!

OH, I love it! I do think he is giving you the stink eye about that onesie! I will have to scope out this pattern for the sweatshirt view. Honestly, I am so glad to hear someone else who is aghast at the amount of fleece at Hancock’s! What are they doing with that fleece? I went in for notions the other day, and they had moved it to the front of the store, and there is so much of it. It’s like the trouble with tribbles! Did the fleece gum up your machine?

Oh that Union suit is so funny!! I agree that Linus does look very sharp in the red shirt. I think he knows how good he looks. I’m looking forward to seeing him in the Baltimore Ravens Union suit. Now, will he wear that one out of the house?

Oh, Cidell, you left me sputtering with laughter at the picture of that poor dog in his union suit. It reminds me of when we used to dress up barn cats in doll clothes. ..great memories for us, not so much for the cats, I’ll wager.
We have four huge fleece blankets, made by ex-girlfriends of my son. It seems to be the go-to gift for adolescent girls. I hate the things, and he seems to get one every birthday and Christmas from someone new. If you need some extra fleece, I will be happy to send one your way…

He looks like he likes the shirt but he’s sure giving you a dirty look wearing the PJs! Those fleece blankets-I thought I would never make any, but my grandson is away at school and needed more blankets. I happened to have some Atlanta Falcons fabric-his favorite team, so I bought some backing and set to work. I found instructions on Pinterest for a braided edge, so that’s what I did. I made it twin bed size and the grandson won’t let it out of his sight! So now the other four grandkids think they need the same blankets for Christmas!

How fun to see the picture of all of you in the fabric store! I It’s great to see you and imagine the fun you were having. And the pictures of Linus? Well, you can’t possibly have too many of him especially when he is modeling couture. 🙂

I opposed to a lot of the frilly, futzy clothing people put on dog. Stuff that has no purpose. But, for this little guy, a warm climate guy in the north-east, and your garment selections, practicality prevails. Linus is so cute in his new outfits and they will make him so much more comfortable. Maybe he can wear his jammies if he has to go our late on a winter night.